Yeah.
At least, I got a sense of humor.
Pure drive.
And damn right it is 'cause this car doesn't do really much of anything else, but that its mission.
Let's drive the 2012 Nissan Versa SV Sedan and check the damn near total (architect?).
Now, bear in mind before you go be a big smart ass and tell all your friends you bought the cheapest car you could get, realizing if you do that, you're gonna give up a few things like power locks, power windows, wheels, now, I think it comes with the last part there.
No (map wi?), I mean nothing.
This car is a real stripper.
Instead, we've got the SV which is the middle one which is kind of a reasonable buy more of to like closer to 15 grand now.
The head unit is base AM FM CD with speakers.
Go with the convenience package for a silly 350 bucks and you're gonna get an MP3 compatible CD reader.
Interestingly enough, an iPod connection with this proprietary cable, but no USB.
And your're also going to get steering wheel automatic controls.
All bunch of them up here.
So you ask where is the navigation?
Not available in this or the base (trimmer?).
Well you gotta go to what they call the SL when you can option it for an embarrassingly cheap 750, the tech package which would get you GPS map, XM radio XM traffic, USB jack also for a whole variety of portables with thumb drives.
With this single line displays, scrolling your iPod is a bit like cryptography.
Take some math classes.
Okay.
More than once I've told you about car makers taking engines, making them smaller and getting more power rattle.
This not one of those stories.
This engine is smaller and with less power.
1.6 liters side saddled in line 4. They had a 1.8 in the last generation Versa and the horsepower has come down a dozen or so, 109 horse, 107 ft lb of talk.
Get this very light 2,400 lb car up to 60 eventually in 10.2 seconds.
But that isn't the point of this vehicle, MPG is and that's where it shines, 30, 38.
This fuel door and hood release are right next to each other, invisible and require about the same effort.
Yeah, popping both open at once, that won't get old.
One of the saving graces of this car is Nissan's expertise doing CVT, Continuously Variable Transmissions.
I don't think anybody consistently does them well like this company.
CVT 's tend to be a slip box.
They're always spooling and the revs are all over the place and the power arrive sometime tomorrow around lunch, but this have enough grip well at the same time, not having any real gear, that's what the CVT is.
It's got belts that pulling to change the relationship all the time.
And that's a key thing to make this car's power always on cam.
It's gonna bring limited power band, I'm sure, but at the same time not feel like it's looking for grit.
The ride quality is actually far short of harsh.
It's bouncy, but it's not harsh.
That's a key difference in making the cheap car feel little bit less than cheap.
The thing I look forward to the day I bought one of these is wearing out the tire which I bet with the car this light, will like never happen.
But when it does, I'm putting on some wider boots.
This car is gonna handle a lot better.
Did you see the tires on this guy?
I mean, they're like that wide.
That's part of the MPG formula on this car, but I will save off for a fraction of an MPG or so to get better grip.
And the part of the cheap car you look at everyday is not the outside, others will sneer at you for that, but right here, the center stack and the gauges.
And look how nicely done these are as limited as they are in terms of technology, that's a good looking instrument, panel at center console, (??) and that helps to make the feel less cheap living with it day to day.
